


You Can Fool Any Friend Who Ever Knew You

by oboe_she_didnt



Series: Grinning Yellows, Spinning Reds [2]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, basically Cole bullying Gilbert into going to the soiree, but Shirbert gets some alone time too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29639889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oboe_she_didnt/pseuds/oboe_she_didnt
Summary: Filling in some of the gaps of Burning Glances, Turning Heads, mostly from Gilbert’s POV. Something warm and cheery to cut through the cold winter, just like the soiree.Make sure you read Part 1 first!
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Grinning Yellows, Spinning Reds [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836607
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	You Can Fool Any Friend Who Ever Knew You

The cold January air whipped around and bit at Gilbert’s cheeks, turning them bright red. He hunched his shoulders up, trying to get his brand-new scarf to reach more of his face, as he balanced carrying his bags down the slightly icy street on his way to his boarding house. The lamps lining the street lit his way as he walked up the steps, shuffling in sideways to fit himself and his suitcase inside. He had arrived after suppertime, having eaten a little on the train, and was feeling bone tired from the long journey. Part of what was weighing him down was every second was taking him further away from Bash and Delly and Anne, and now he’d have to go until June without seeing Avonlea.

“Ah, welcome back, Mr. Blythe!” Mrs. James, the housekeeper, said as he stomped his feet, trying to get some of the snow off.

“Glad to be back,” he said, brushing off his hat and carefully unwrapping the scarf Anne had made him, not needing them in the warm heat of the entry parlor. 

“It seems someone misses you already,” she added, turning to the mail tray and holding up a letter. 

Gilbert was confused. Who would have written him so soon after he left? There was not even enough time for a letter to have arrived all the way from PEI in the time it took for him to get back to Ontario. “Thank you,” he said, tucking the letter into his coat pocket without looking at who it was from and picking up his bags again.

“Breakfast will be at 7, as usual,” Mrs. James said to his retreating figure. Gilbert didn’t even want to think about how few hours there were between then and 7 in the morning as he trudged up to his little room on the third floor. It was slightly dusty from a few weeks with no occupant and he quickly got to work putting everything back in place, ready for him to begin the new term in the morning. Satisfied with his preparations, he sat at his desk and held the letter up to the lamp, seeing it was not from a member of his family, but from Cole Mackenzie.

Curiously as to why a boy he had had very few interactions with during his life in Avonlea would be writing to him, he opened it up. 

_ Dear Gilbert, _

_ I know we are not very close, but we both hold near and dear to our hearts the same feisty redhead. She would probably do worse than smack me with a slate if she knew I was writing to you so I trust you will not mention this, or the following contents of the letter, to her at all. _

_ Miss Josephine Barry, the great-aunt of Diana, hosts a grand party in the middle of winter every year and Anne has attended for the past two years (she possibly might have mentioned this to you; they are very ‘Anne’ parties, to give you an image of what you might find). This year it will be held on Saturday, February 24th and knowing Anne as well as I do, she will not tell you about it at all because she will want you to stay in Toronto. While I do agree an education is very important, both of you can sometimes be too devoted to your studies. I think, and you will agree, Anne deserves to have a night at a beautiful ball escorted by her beau. I have taken the liberty of studying the train and ferry schedule from Toronto to Charlottetown and while it might be an exhausting weekend for you, barring any weather disasters, you will be able to spend a few hours at the party with Anne. This party will have a theme of being a masquerade, and I know Anne will find the idea wholly romantical. _

_ I realize you are an autonomous individual and have every right to say ‘no’ to this scheme, but I highly, highly suggest you take me up on this offer. Miss Barry will reimburse your travel fund, provide you with board overnight, and lend you a mask and a suit if you are in need of one. _

_ Please write back at your earliest convenience so we might plan these details out exactly. If I do not hear back from you by the end of January...well, let’s just say you should reply by the end of January. _

_ All the best, _

_ Cole Mackenzie _

Gilbert was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected invitation, and was more than a little overwhelmed with the prospect of the decision ahead of him. While he of course would want to see Anne much sooner than June…

On second thought, perhaps temporarily beguiled by the prospect of a brand-new semester that would not be as difficult as his first since he knew a little more of what to expect, he decided that was all the reason he would need. With a slightly Anne-like vision of a glamorous ball in his mind, not that he had ever been to one, he set to work immediately writing back to Cole. Besides, he did not want to see what kind of threat Cole would carry out if he delayed or hesitated in his response. School-related consequences be damned; if he didn’t miss any classes, he would be fine no matter what.

Well, he had a small reservation, and that was in the form of Anne’s potential wrath. He took note to mention it in the letter, just so Cole knew he knew what he was possibly getting into.

A couple weeks later, Cole hosted Anne and Diana for the usual Sunday tea where they spent time catching up from the previous week, since Cole did not attend Queen’s, and would occasionally take the time to be creative together, just like they did in the old story club house. On this particular Sunday, Anne was called off by Aunt Jo to take a look around her library as she had been in search of some new reading material for the semester ahead and wanted something to use in her classes that would make her stand out. As soon as she left, Cole felt a smug smile take over his face at the thought of the letter he had received only the day previously.

“What are you smirking at?” Diana asked, daintily taking a bite of a thin biscuit.

“I know you hate keeping secrets from Anne, but could you keep one for a little while?”

She arched an eyebrow. “What did you do?”

“I may have written to Gilbert to invite him to the soiree. And I just received his enthusiastic response. Well, it is mostly enthusiastic. That boy is over the moon, believe you me. But he is afraid of the infamous temper of our favorite redhead.”

“He’s definitely learned his lesson.”

“So I think I may be in need of a little assistance in my persuasion. If you could write to him, perhaps he will be swayed?”

“Why do you think I will have any more influence than you?”

“You told me about how you yelled at him on the train to Toronto. I think he should know by now not to mess with Diana Barry. Perhaps a few well-chosen words will send him to us for sure?”

“If you insist.” Diana replied as Anne waltzed back into the room, arms full of possibilities.

A week later, Gilbert received Diana’s letter. He had only corresponded with her once, in order to thank her for her insistent words which pushed him towards Anne that September day in the first place. Having not spoken to her much while home for Christmas, as he spent most of his time with Anne, this note was certainly unexpected.

_ Dear Gilbert, _

_ I have been informed by Cole you are indeed planning on taking him up on his generous offer to provide you with the means to attend my Aunt Jo’s soiree in a few weeks. He mentioned some reservations you had, however, about Anne’s potential reaction. As one of the individuals who spent this entire semester with Anne, and probably the one who knows her experience the best, I can say with certainty she loves you. She loves you and whatever anger she will feel for you will be only temporary. So make sure you attend! I will be sure to distract Anne as much as possible so you, ‘the grandest surprise’ as she will undoubtedly say, will remain just that: a surprise.  _

_ If all else fails, blame the two of us. We have gotten out of more troubling times before. _

_ Your friend, _

_ Diana _

It was all too easy to remember the ferocity of Diana, meek Diana, quiet Diana, always obeyed her parents and tried to keep the peace in the school yard Diana, and how her words cut him to the core. Who knew what else she had in her arsenal, if that was a one-time service to her dearest friend, or if now that she was an independent woman she would let her exact opinion be known more often. 

So Gilbert resolved himself to go along with Cole’s scheme, consequences be damned, as the benefits far outweighed the risks...or at least the threats for going against the scheme scared him more than the potential wrath of his Anne.

He spent the next few weeks carefully planning out every aspect of the trip, knowing that it could all change at a moment’s notice if Canada’s winter decided to be against him. He relied on Cole to plan his outfit, shuddering internally at his utter dilemma in dressing himself for the county fair and how much higher the stakes seemed to be then as compared to the weight of the situation now. He made a note of what readings he could get ahead on and forewarned members of his study groups he will not be joining them at weekend, as he had a fun, but important, matter to attend to closer to home. Those who knew about his red-haired beau would just shake their heads and roll their eyes, and Gilbert longed for the day when Anne would be able to come and visit him and he could show her to everyone.

The trip from Toronto to Charlottetown was blissfully uneventful, with only a little bit of snow as they went through Quebec. Gilbert waited on the train platform, as instructed, for Cole to retrieve him, knowing if they wanted to surprise to work there could be no chance he would run into Anne.

“Gilbert!” He whipped around to see the tall, blond head of Cole Mackenzie walking towards him, with a slight swagger to his step and dressed as fancily as some of his more well-off classmates.

“Hello, Cole,” Gilbert replied, shaking Cole’s hand and following him to the waiting carriage.

“You are just in time for the full swing of things. You’ve missed the slow part of the party. Be ready to dance!”

“How did you sneak out of here without Anne missing you?” Gilbert asked, settling into the carriage.

“She’s with Diana and a...friend of mine. Both know about this little plan and we’re more than happy to keep her distracted on the dance floor while I get you all presentable.”

The trip to the Barry mansion did not take very long, and Gilbert was struck with how large and grand it was, given the last time he was there he was in a bit of a snit and was certainly not in the mood to admire grand architecture when Anne was being dismissive and launching herself into the enthusiastic arms of Cole right in front of him. Cole was very smooth in his movements as he led Gilbert fearlessly through a side door, a series of corridors, and into a bedroom on an upper floor.

“This will be your room for the night.” Cole said. “I laid out a suit and a mask for you; I figured black would be best. Suits your personality anyway.”

“I’m boring and dark?”

“No! Just...practical.”

Gilbert quickly set out his belongings and changed into the suit and put on the mask, disguising the top of his face, though hopefully not so much so that Anne would not recognize him. “And where will Anne be? How shall I approach her?” he asked as they walked back to the ballroom.

“Um…” Cole glanced around and had a silent conversation with a much older, but very distinguished-looking woman, all eyes and eyebrows and nods. Evidently he gleaned the information he was seeking, and concluded, “Anne will be doing a recitation soon. You can probably catch her after that.” 

But Gilbert was already not listening, eyes skimming the room for the familiar head of red hair. The room was so crowded and was an overwhelming sea of color and costume Gilbert felt extremely out of place, a different kind of out of place he felt as a farm boy in cosmopolitan Toronto. He finally caught a glimpse of her on the other side of the room, standing next to Diana and who he assumed was Cole’s friend. She was dancing a little with Diana, their hands clasped and swinging their connected arms in time to the rhythm of the music. Cole’s friend seemed to be rather jolly, talking to the girls animatedly while they danced. Anne seemed properly distracted.

Cole put his hand on Gilbert’s shoulder. “Jo’s going to call Anne up to speak soon. You can probably make your move soon after.”

“Mhm.” Gilbert nodded, still watching Anne. Her green dress was the same color as one other dress he knew well and was likely to be one of her favorite colors. Her silver mask only highlighted the daintiness of her facial features though he wished he could take it off to see her gray eyes better. And if he was closer he’d be able to count her freckles…

“You don’t want to distract her right before,” Cole said, as though sensing Gilbert was seconds from taking flight and launching himself across the room into Anne’s arms. “She enjoys reciting, you know that, but it’s still a lot of people.”

“You’re right,” Gilbert said, watching as the older woman Cole had communicated with made her way over to Anne, pulled her gently away from Diana, and brought her to the center of the room. As much as it pained him, Gilbert tried to hide himself, so she couldn’t see him but he could see her. He knew firsthand how animated she could become while declaiming and wanted to take in every second of her performance.

And he savored every second. He could tell she picked out her passage especially for him, and every word dripped with love and longing, devotion and a hint of despair. Her eyes flickered between the book in front of her, a well-loved copy of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ , and her rapt audience. He thought she might have noticed him, but her performance didn’t falter in the least. He clapped loudly and proudly as soon as she finished, taking a sweeping bow and pulling off her flower crown as though it were a top hat.

He was nearly barreled over in the surge of people going forward to congratulate her, so he bided his time, standing at the edge, watching as she took in compliments and her cheeks got redder and redder until she was able to steal away for a moment out into the hallway. Thinking he would catch her there, he started to make his way forward but the crowd jostled him and he was pushed back into the ballroom.

Anne was craning her head, likely looking for her trio of mates for the evening, Cole abandoning Gilbert rather quickly so as to not arouse too much suspicion for being gone for so long. Gilbert stood up as tall as he could but by the time he thought he would be able to reach her she was already on her way over her other friends, a girl clearly on a mission with sure-footed steps as she darted between the colorful dancers.

The urge to go over to her and sweep her off her feet was becoming nearly overwhelming. Gilbert watched as she began to dance with Cole’s friend. They were engaging in what seemed to be a lively conversation; Anne was always so thoughtful and loved meeting new people, she must have really been enjoying herself. But as the conversation continued, Gilbert saw she seemed to shut down a little and began to look around the room before shaking herself out of her reverie and bringing herself back to the present.

The dance changed and she switched partners to Cole. Gilbert was silently praying Cole would be his savior in this case. He started trying to make eye contact with his former classmate but in the middle of doing so was very sure Anne saw him. Her entire demeanor changed. As the pair followed the dance and separated and came back together her head darted around and her eyes were burning through the crowd, looking for someone. He felt hope bubble up in his chest that it might be him, that she had inadvertently noticed him.

She talked to Cole very seriously for a few seconds then Cole dragged her over to him. And being reunited was just as sweet as Gilbert imagined it. She made him a flower crown like she’d always talked about doing (though they would have to do it again over the summer with Avonlea wildflowers and she would have to teach him some, too). They kissed and reveled in being  _ close _ . The letters were definitely one thing, that intimacy of knowing and sharing each other’s thoughts, desires, and insecurities. But being in the same room together was something else entirely.

“What are you thinking about?” Anne asked, nudging his cheek with her nose as they danced much closer than they would have back in Avonlea.

“You,” he said, dipping down to kiss the tip of her nose. “How nice it is to be this close to you, even if it’s just for a few hours. And of course how beautiful you look.” He stroked the top of her head, fingers brushing through her darkening red hair. “Wishing I could take off your mask so I could count your freckles.”

Anne chuckled lightly as she squeezed his hand a little tighter. “You have freckles too, you know. I can’t see them now, but they’re there. I’d love to count them, too.”

Meanwhile, watching this scene, was Cole and Roy, contentedly dancing and trying to pay attention to each other but instead were distracted by Avonlea’s Golden Couple dancing closely to them.

“I couldn’t imagine not being able to see you for months,” Roy said softly. “Sometimes going days between visits is too long.”

“They’re an unusual couple, that’s for sure. And Anne deserves every bit of happiness we can throw her way. It’s too bad circumstances lined up like this but both of them value their education and each other’s education too much, so they put up with it. At least it won’t be forever.” Cole rested his head on Roy’s shoulder, happy to have found someone even taller than he. 

“And they’ve only been a couple in person for a few short weeks, and they’re that close already?” Roy asked. “Are they like this when they’re together outside of a place like this where we don’t care about propriety?”

“In all honesty, they’ve been looking at each other with the most nauseating heart eyes for years. I knew Gilbert had a crush on her ages before she figured it out. But she definitely started getting that same look in her eye whenever she talked about him. ‘He’s so infuriating, honestly! Why does he have to pick such a noble profession? How dare he care this much about others? If I didn’t want to punch him so much, I’d probably kiss him!’”

“Did she really say that?”

“No, but I think it was heavily implied. Diana would have more information about this, to be honest. She was probably present for most of these rants. And Diana is the person who got Gilbert’s head on straight and cleared up the massive misunderstanding the pair had in which both confessed they loved each other in letters they wrote to each other but neither actually read. So they were left thinking the other didn’t love them for a couple weeks and Gilbert was ready to prance off to Toronto and live a life of self-pitying bachelorhood if not for the esteemed Miss Barry.”

Roy started laughing. “That isn’t real! That sounds like something that would happen in a novel!”

“It is completely real, I promise. Come on, let’s get Diana to tell it.” Cole took Roy’s hand and pulled him over to where Diana was standing, observing both the dancers and the musicians. By the time they looked back at Anne and Gilbert, the pair was missing.

Cole shook his head. “Can’t leave them alone for two seconds.”

Diana playfully swatted his arm. “I don’t blame them one bit.”

It was quiet in the hallway where Anne had taken Gilbert, a bit further away than the parlor from earlier where she had made him a flower crown. 

“I’m not angry anymore,” Anne confessed. “I don’t think I was even that angry much at all. I was just feeling so much and my default with you is still to lash out.”

“Hey, you’ve had years to build up quite a habit. I don’t entirely mind; is it bad to say I’m used to it?”

“I like arguing with you, but not fighting. There’s a difference,” Anne said, stopping in her walk and looking at a painting in the hall. “Cole made this.”

“Really?” Gilbert looked at it closely. It seemed to be an autumn scene, red and gold leaves swirling around. But the side of the tree looked less like a tree and more like a face. And the way the leaves were floating through the air…”Wait, is this supposed to be you?”

“Oh, you can see it! Cole told me so, but it took me so long to exactly find it. I suppose you know what my face looks like after staring at it for so long.”

“You’re in my dreams, Anne-girl. I don’t think I’d ever forget what your face looks like.”

Anne buried her face in his shoulder. “And it’s compliments like that which I’m still not used to. Who knew you could be such a poet?”

“It’s not my fault you tore up the most beautiful thing I’ve ever written before you could even read it!”

They both shared a laugh, taking in the beauty of Cole’s work and just basking in the fact they were  _ there _ ,  _ together _ , right next to each other. 

“Anne?” They both whipped their heads around as Josephine Barry walked towards them. “Were you going to introduce me?”

“Of course, Aunt Jo,” Anne said sweetly. “As you have undoubtedly deduced, this handsome man right here is Gilbert Blythe.”

Gilbert stepped forward slightly to bow to her, and possibly shake her hand, but before he could get too far (or even decide what action would be the most proper), Jo pulled him into a hug.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Barry,” he said.

“Nonsense, dear, call me Aunt Jo like everyone does! I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance, hopefully the first of very many visits.”

“Thank you for your generosity...Aunt Jo,” Gilbert said, stepping back and taking Anne’s hand again. “I know you’ve had such a positive impact on many people I know.”

“We’re all kindred spirits in this house,” Aunt Jo replied. “You two enjoy yourselves. It makes me very happy to have been able to help orchestrate tonight.”

“Thank you,” Anne said. Gilbert stroked the hand he was holding and watched as Aunt Jo went back to her party. 

“Well, we have a few hours before I should go to sleep, get all rested for my journey back. What would you like to do?” Gilbert asked.

“I have a few ideas,” Anne replied, and Gilbert, as always, followed her lead.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera.
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dianas_piano


End file.
